Imagine gaining an inside look at the construction and design of modular homes—in a factory space the size of several football fields! That’s what John Jay’s third year architecture students experienced recently at a field trip to Westchester Modular Homes, in Wingdale.
The eye-opening experience was arranged for by architecture teacher Annabelle Rolland. Her third-year students saw many of the skills they are learning in class implemented in the modular home business. For instance, when Westchester Modular Homes Engineer Mike Hatcher shared the architectural drawings with the class, the students knew how to read them.
They met a spackleman on stilts and crew chiefs of several different stations and saw modules at various stages of construction. They learned that the employee-owned company delivers roughly three to six modules per day and has built 8,400 houses since its opening in 1987.
Students wanted to learn more. Charles asked about the building permit process, Riley about HVAC and inspections, Romy about heating systems, and Mark for the detail of a marriage wall.
“We were surprised to see many of the ways that modular homes can be customized and learned about the advantages of modular building compared to traditional stick-built construction.” said Rolland. " We are incredibly lucky to have been invited to see this work in action. There are no photos to prove it. They are not allowed, to keep trade secrets a secret, but the visual memories are very much there!"